Filling means for centrifugal machines



Jan. 25, 1955 c, E. G. SIMMONS 2,700,396

FILLING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1951 United States Patent Ofiice 2,700,396 Patented Jan. 25, 1955 FILLING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Charles E. G. Simmons, London, England, assignor of one-half to Tate & Lyle Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain and one-half to Watson, Laidlaw & Company Limited, Glasgow, Scotland, a corporation of Great Britain Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,927

1 Claim. (Cl. 137--565) This invention relates to apparatus for conveying to, and charging automatically the baskets of centrifugal machines with the material to be treated, which may consist of sugar massecuite or any material in a thin plastic or free-flowing condition.

According to present day practice the baskets of centrifugal machines are charged by gravity from a vessel placed behind and above the baskets by way of a valve operated by an attendant. The volume of material allowed to pass into each basket is left to the judgment of the attendant by observation of the distance between the wall of crystal or other material and the lip of the basket cover. As the consistency of the massecuite, for example, may change from time to time, the rate of flow is also variable, and it is not possible to determine on a time basis the exact quantity required to fill a basket, and therefore the charge must be regulated according to the nature of the massecuite.

An object of the present invention is to ensure that each basket will receive a predetermined volume at each charge.

Another object of the invention is to ensure that only one basket can be charged at a time, thus reducing the heavy power load which would be required in accelerating simultaneously the baskets of more than one machine.

Apparatus according to the invention comprises mixer means adapted to discharge by way of valve means to a conduit, a cylinder containing a reciprocable piston or plunger of adjustable stroke and connected to the conduit, at least one discharge door in the conduit, and thruster means operatively connected to the valve means, to the piston, and to the discharge door.

Where more than one machine is to be charged from the conduit, there is provided in the conduit a discharge door for each machine, the doors being so interlocked that only one door can be opened at a time. The doors may conveniently be interlocked by providing that the control handle for each door presents a projection cooperating with a tongue movable into the position to engage the projection when any other control handle is in operative position.

The cylinder is preferably disposed vertically, the lower end being in communication with the conduit, and a quantity of liquid, for example syrup, maintained above the piston, the depth of the syrup being arranged to provide a pressure head slightly in excess of the highest pressure likely to be generated below the piston. A small leakage of syrup thus takes place past the piston, such leakage being preferable to a leakage of massecuite in the opposite direction.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawing in which 1 and 2 denote mixer means furnished with valve means 3 and 4 respectively and adapted to discharge into the conduit 6. 6 denotes a cylinder containing a piston 7 connected by a piston rod 8 to a second piston 9 slidable in a cylinder 10 adapted to receive oil under pressure. The stroke of the piston 9, and consequently of the piston 7 is variable. 11 denotes a reservoir of syrup connected branch ducts each closable by a door 14, each door 14 being connected to a piston 15 slidable in a thruster cylinder 16, the doors 14 being so interlocked that only one door can be opened at a time. 17 and 18 denote thrusters operatively connected to the valves 3 and 4, respectively.

In practice, the sequence of operations in centrifuging sugar crystals is as follows:

The thruster means 17 or 18 connected to the Valve means 3 and 4 at the mixers 1 and 2 is energized and the valve 3 or 4 opens and permits the massecuite to flow from the mixer 1 or 2 into the conduit 5. At the same time oil is admitted to the cylinder 10, the piston 9 moves upwardly, carrying with it the piston 7 which moves in the direction to admit massecuite into the cylinder 6. When the piston has moved a predetermined distance, the associated thruster means 17 or 18 is de-energised, and the mixer valve means 3 or 4 closed. One of the dooroperating thrusters 15, 16 is then energised to open the appropriate charging door 14 to the basket to be charged. Oil is now admitted to the cylinder 10 to move the pistons 9 and 7 downwardly to force the massecuite in the cylinder 6 to flow into the conduit 5, and a volume of massecuite in the cylinder 6 to flow into the conduit 5, and a volume of massecuite equal to the volume expelled from the cylinder 6 thereupon passes through the open charging door 14 to the associated machine.

When a basket has been charged with the predetermined volume of massecuite, the charging door is closed and the cycle commences again.

What is claimed is:

In an apparatus for delivering a charge of predetermined volume of a free-flowing material to a centrifugal machine, a mixer for mixing the ingredients of the material to be centrifuged, a conduit for receiving material from the mixer and being normally filled with material during the operation of the apparatus, a flow connection having a valve therein connecting the mixer with the conduit, a cylinder for determining and adjusting the volume of the charge of material to be delivered to the centrifugal machine one end of said cylinder being directly connected into said conduit, a piston in said cylinder movable to a position to admit a charge of predetermined volume of the material from said conduit into said cylinder when said valve is opened to admit a charge of material to said conduit, a reservoir for liquid mounted above the cylinder and connected into the other end of the cylinder for maintaining a pressure head of liquid on the side of the piston in the cylinder opposite that of the charge of material, a discharge duct connected into said conduit and having a discharge door for delivering a charge of material to the centrifugal machine, means for actuating said valve to permit the flow of a charge of material into said conduit and cylinder, means for reciprocating said piston in said cylinder to permit the flow of a charge of material from said conduit into the cylinder and to force the charge of material therefrom into said conduit when said door is opened, and means for opening and closing said door, whereby a charge of material of predetermined volume may be delivered from said conduit to the centrifugal machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,818 Laun Nov. 5, 1918 1,522,120 Halder Jan. 6, 1925 2,090,373 Neuman Aug. 17, 1937 2,253,810 Poux Aug. 26, 1941 2,271,493 Brewer Jan. 27, 1942 2,448,947 Arthur Sept. 7, 1948 2,498,407 Fine Feb. 21, 1950 2,529,457 Nilsson Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,085 Great Britain 1913 

